For the first time, the American scientist Jordan spoke about the benefits of a laying hen, who in his study compared the performance of dry matter of protein per year of a chicken and a cow. The little laying hen won the undisputed victory. And in the twenties of the last century, the industrialization of poultry farming processes began in the USA. To date, in the process of breeding chickens, there are the following areas: egg, egg-meat and meat. These are more than a hundred breeds and their hybrids.

The main product obtained by breeding laying hens is, of course, an egg. For a person, a chicken egg is a very important and valuable food product. It is easily digestible, contains almost all the necessary amino acids, the yolk contains vitamin D, the benefits of which, especially for young children, are undeniable. An egg is practically the first complementary food introduced into the diet of an infant. The egg is widely used in cooking, it is an indispensable product, without which it is impossible to cook many dishes. The benefits of chicken broth have become proverbial, it is used to maintain the strength of people who have suffered a serious illness.

The main goal of farmers who decide to breed laying hens is to obtain the largest number of food eggs for their sale or for their own needs.

Rules for choosing laying hens

A good laying hen can lay up to two hundred eggs a year. Therefore, when forming a herd, it is very important to select each individual qualitatively. How to breed the required number of laying hens?

You can buy chickens or young animals only from trusted sellers, it will not be superfluous to consult people who already have experience in purchasing poultry. You should not chase cheapness, because unscrupulous sellers can attract buyers for culled individuals in this way. Chickens of the same age should be selected, the age of 17 weeks is considered the best.

Laying hens of different ages require separate keeping, as their diet is different. Also, young hens are more susceptible to various infections, the carriers of which may be older hens, although they may not have external signs of the disease at all.

Laying hens have the highest productivity in the first year of life. In the second year, egg production decreases by 15-20%, and then the number of eggs produced decreases even more. Therefore, chickens are kept in large poultry farms for 1 year, and in farms where the livestock is not so numerous - no more than three years. In autumn, it is recommended to cull the herd, because in winter the productivity of laying hens drops, and it is not advisable to spend feed on an unpromising individual.

There are several simple ways to determine the productivity of a chicken:

1. By behavior. A good laying hen is an active chicken, willingly walks until late, digs in the litter or the ground, runs up to the feeder at a run. A weak chicken tries to stay closer to the chicken coop, perches early.
2. By appearance. In the productive period, a good chicken has a smooth, warm to the touch comb, a short, elastic beak. The crest changes its color from rich red to pale pink, the beak and legs lighten. Poorly developed, shriveled, dry and cold comb, richly colored legs - the first sign of poor egg production.
3. on physiological grounds. One of them is the distance between the bones of the pelvis. In a highly productive hen, it is about 6 cm (3-4 fingers), and in a poor laying hen, the distance is small, the ends of the bones are often covered with fat. A large and soft belly is another sign of a good laying hen.

However, with little experience in raising chickens, the owner should not immediately discard a chicken that does not like it. It is necessary to observe her behavior, egg laying, nutrition for some time to make sure that the conclusions drawn about the productivity of the hen are correct.

When organizing poultry farming at home, you should, of course, take care of the room in which laying hens will be located. Often, for this purpose, farmers use a room that is adapted for keeping other animals, but the best solution would be to organize a separate chicken coop.

When arranging it, it is necessary to take into account several important points:

Location

It is better to have a chicken coop on an elevated place, on the leeward side of other buildings. It is unacceptable to flood the poultry house with groundwater.

walking yard

Near the chicken coop, it is necessary to enclose a walking yard with a mesh or wooden fence. It is good if it is arranged under the trees or tightened with a net on top. Growing laying hens in such conditions will maximize the protection of pets from the attack of birds of prey, ferrets and other "lovers" of chicken.

Temperature

The ceiling of the poultry house should not be higher than 1.8 m, as the farmer must take care of maintaining the temperature necessary for the bird in winter, and the high height will not allow this. The optimum temperature for good egg production of chickens is 23-25°C; during the cold period, the air temperature in the chicken coop should not fall below 15°C to obtain eggs.

Ventilation

Floor covering

The floor in the chicken coop is usually made to fill, less often wooden or adobe. It is not worth concreting the floor, as it contributes to an increase in dampness and significantly reduces the temperature in the room. The floor must be covered with a dry litter of chopped hay, straw, dry leaves, sawdust and other things. Growing laying hens in winter is possible without additional heating of the chicken coop in the presence of a litter layer of about 0.5 m. The vital activity of microorganisms in the litter mixture heats it up to 32 ° C.

Floor area

Lighting

Breeding laying hens requires good room lighting. In the chicken coop, the window area should exceed 10% of the floor area. And with a reduction in daylight hours, in order to preserve the egg production of chickens, it is necessary to turn on additional lighting of the poultry house (the entire daylight hours should be approximately 13-14 hours). However, you can lengthen the day only after all the birds have molted.

perches

The chicken coop must be equipped with a perch. They are made from poles or wooden blocks 4-6 cm in diameter. The perch is placed opposite the window, raised by 0.8 - 1.2 m from the floor. For ease of cleaning, you can make the perch lifting on hinges nailed to the wall. About 20 cm of perch is needed per hen, the perch bars should be placed at a distance of 35 to 60 cm.

nests

In the darkened places of the chicken coop, nests are arranged. For 5-6 hens, 1 nest should be equipped. For these purposes, wooden boxes of suitable sizes (30 × 30 × 35 cm) can be adapted. The nests can be connected into a block, and set it to some elevation above the floor. Straw, shavings, hay are placed in the nests.

Additional hole

To exit chickens from the poultry house to the walking area, it is necessary to equip a separate manhole door. Its dimensions can be small, about 35 cm, this will keep you warm in cold weather.

feeders

Of course, there must be feeders in the chicken coop and on the walking area. Feeders are made in the form of long narrow wooden or iron boxes. Their capacity depends on the number of herds. One chicken needs 10 to 15 cm of feeder. Feeders with top-mounted turntables have proven themselves very well, which will not allow the bird to climb in and clean up the food. For the same purpose, you can install the feeders at a small height above the ground. There should be enough of them so that all the inhabitants of the house can get food at the same time. This will avoid fighting chickens near the feeder.

drinkers

Also, both indoors and outdoors, it is necessary to install drinkers for birds. They are better to choose a small capacity - 5-6 liters. This will prevent the water from fading, especially in the heat, and will allow enough birds to drink.

Ash baths

Disinfection

Growing laying hens for any purpose is impossible without observing elementary sanitary rules in the hen house and in the adjacent territory. Drinkers and feeders should always be kept clean and cleaned and disinfected regularly. The bedding in the coop and nests must be dry. If contaminated with litter, it must be replaced.

Feeding the laying hens

How to properly care for laying hens? How and what to feed them? How many times? These and similar questions have to be addressed by the poultry farmer on a regular basis.

Feeding laying hens depends on their age, time of year, molting period. But at any time, chicken feed should be well balanced, varied, rich in various minerals.

Consider the content of the main nutrients in feed of various types:

• Proteins are the main building material for plant and animal cells. More than half of the egg produced by the chicken is protein. Thus, in addition to the cost of growth and vital activity of the bird, the feed must contain a sufficient amount of protein to form an egg. Feed proteins can be of animal origin - these are fish and bone meal, dairy production waste, fish industry waste, incubation waste, and so on. Forage of plant origin includes cakes and meals - sunflower, soybean, rapeseed and others.

• Birds need fats as an energy reserve. Fats are rich in corn and oats.

• Carbohydrates (starch, sugar, fiber) are very important for the life of a bird, they provide energy costs for physical activity. However, their surplus leads to obesity and a decrease in egg production of the bird. Also, the high content of fiber in feed (grain shells) does not affect the condition of chickens very well, therefore, whole grains that are not peeled from shells should not be introduced into the diet of young chickens before laying.

• Vitamins. Vitamins A, B, D are especially important for poultry. Therefore, it is imperative to introduce green food into the diet of chickens, such as: green legumes, pumpkin, corn, carrots, oat sprouts, wild weeds (quinoa, nettle, dandelion, etc.). ). Vitamin D contains a lot of fish oil, baker's yeast is also rich in it, which should be taken into account when preparing food for chickens. The lack of vitamins has a bad effect on the well-being of the bird, egg production decreases.

• Minerals are especially important for the formation of the egg shell, so there should be a sufficient amount of them in the diet of laying hens (up to 5% of the feed weight). To do this, separate feeders are installed in the chicken coop and on the walking area, in which fodder chalk, small shells, crushed egg shells, gravel, crushed bones are constantly located.

In summer and winter, chickens are fed in 3-4 doses. The first portion of feed is given as early as possible, it is the third part of the daily ration. The last portion - as late as possible, consists entirely of grains. Chickens should receive two daily portions at regular intervals. Basically it should be wet mash. Approximately 137-140 g of food should be per head in summer, and 116-120 g in winter. In winter, less root crops should be given, but a little more grain. Birds should not be overfed. This has a bad effect on her mobility, health and, as a result, egg production.

Bird slaughter

Laying hens culled in autumn or in the process of growth are slaughtered for meat. The slaughter of culled chickens at home is best entrusted to a person familiar with this process, since the quality of the meat obtained, its shelf life directly depend on the correctness of the operations performed. The processing of the carcass takes place in several stages: bleeding, plucking, singeing, gutting and cutting. As a result, the farmer receives about 2 kg of meat.

Breeding poultry in the subsidiary farm is a promising and very profitable business. Laying hens are easy to care for. With little effort and financial expense, you can provide your family with fresh, organic food all year round. If you follow the simple rules for caring for laying hens, they will love you back and please you with their productivity.

The chicken coop is most often built from timber and boards. If the bird is bred in the country only in the summer, they get by with a simplified version of the house. For year-round poultry breeding, it must be insulated. In the distribution network you can buy a ready-made poultry house. However, according to your own project, it is easier to take into account your ideas about its structure, and it will also cost several times cheaper. To assemble a poultry house, you do not need to look for specialists, since even an inexperienced summer resident can build a chicken coop with his own hands. First, they calculate the approximate size of the house and decide which place on the site to take it.

How many places do chickens need?

As a standard, it is customary to allocate 1 m2 of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house for 3-4 chickens of egg breed or for 2-3 boilers. For chickens, 1 m2 is allocated for 14 heads. If a separate cage is arranged in the poultry house for each chicken, then their number is calculated as follows: 12-14 heads per 1 m2. For walking, they enclose the territory adjacent to the poultry house. Its value depends more on the ability to allocate a certain place on the site, but you can roughly calculate the corral as follows: 1 m2 of territory is required for 1 chicken.

It is customary to make the height of the chicken coop at least 1 m. At the same time, a person must freely enter it in order to pick up the laid eggs and do the cleaning. It will be more convenient to enter a house with a wall height of 1.5 m or more. You can also use the following data: for 10 chickens, the minimum dimensions of the house are 100x200x150 mm (width-length-height). The location on the site should take into account that chickens need a lot of light, so it is better not to choose shaded places.

Building a poultry house. Base

You can install a chicken house in the country directly on the ground, but this will not prevent mice and other rodents from getting into it. It is better if the construction of the chicken coop is carried out in accordance with all the rules for the construction of buildings. That is why it is more correct to start work with the foundation device. This is how a poultry house is most often equipped for year-round keeping of chickens. As a rule, a slab solid foundation is chosen.

A sufficient thickness of the slab is 25 cm, since the construction is very light. The soil is removed to a depth of 35 cm, the bottom is covered with a sand and gravel cushion to a height of 10 cm. A formwork is made over the entire area of ​​​​the future slab. Then, from 8 mm rods, the site is poured with M300 concrete. Wait at least 3 weeks for it to fully harden.

Device and ventilation

The internal arrangement of the chicken house should provide for the following structures:

• feeders, shelves, perches, nests, manhole to the street, litter box.

In addition, it is important to properly equip lighting, heating and ventilation. Good air exchange is of great importance for the microclimate in the poultry house, since the degree of humidity in the house, the absence of an unpleasant smell and the desire to lay hens depend on it. There are several options for its device: a ventilation window closed with galvanized round holes, or the device of 2 pipes passing through the roof. One of them is installed above the perch and does not descend below the ceiling level. This is an exhaust pipe.

The second pipe, on the contrary, descends into the chicken coop by 0.5 m, but is located far from the perch. This is due to the fact that chickens do not tolerate when it pulls even a little cold. This is how an inlet pipe is installed, which provides an influx of fresh air. The length of the pipes is 2 m, the rest rises above the roof.

Assembling the poultry house

Before you build a chicken coop with your own hands, prepare a bar of various sections. For the frame, 150x150 mm or 100x150 mm is suitable. You will also need a 5 cm board for wall and roof cladding. How to properly attach the racks to the base? Even before the concrete is poured and the reinforcing cage is installed, the timber is installed in the foundation. Thus, its stability is provided by the concrete itself.

The second option: a beam of the lower strapping is attached to the frozen foundation, and already to it - load-bearing racks with the help of metal corners. At the top, a beam of the upper strapping is attached, and racks are attached to it with the help of spacers. The frozen foundation slab is covered with a layer of bitumen or liquid glass - this is the floor of the house. Later, a pillow of sawdust, fine straw or sand is poured on it.

At the next stage, the frame is sheathed with a board and insulation is made if it is planned for an all-season chicken coop. As a rule, mineral wool slabs 10 cm thick are used. Internal and external cladding can be made with the following materials:

The house must have at least 1 window facing east, or 2 windows facing south and east. The size of windows is often calculated as follows: 1/10 of the floor area. Inside the chicken coop, nests and perches are equipped. A U-shaped door is installed in the western wall of the house. Next to it, below, they make a square-shaped hole for the bird to go outside. Be sure to provide a grid to close it. Lighting cables are brought in from the outside, it is advisable to make a rain-proof box with a switch. Inside, it will be correct to mount a ceiling with a lamp, and not just an incandescent lamp, which the chickens will constantly touch.

Roof

Shed roof is equipped with a visor above the door and with a slope in the opposite direction. This ensures that precipitation flows quickly. The visor rests on supports attached on 2 sides of the entrance. Roofing material is chosen as roofing material, roofing felt, bituminous tiles or 2 layers of boards are laid with a space between them. It is provided by stuffing rails on the bottom flooring. Along the perimeter, in this case, the board is stuffed on the edge to close the gap between the layers of the flooring. From the inside, the ceiling can be insulated in the same way as the walls.

Nests and perches

Nests inside the poultry house are arranged on supports made of timber 100x100 mm. They rise above the floor at a height of 40 cm. The nests are a long shelf divided by partitions. Shelves can be arranged in several tiers. Hay is placed in each cell so that the laying hen is warm and comfortable. There are also perches in the chicken coop. They are a bar that is fixed at several levels. Thus, chickens can sit on different tiers. Inside the house and on the walking area, containers with food and water are installed.

In conclusion, it should be noted that there are a lot of options for building chicken coops. For example, you can build a 2-pitched roof with an insulated attic and place incubators in it. An uninsulated attic is used to store food and tools. The poultry house can be hung on poles, then its contact with the ground is excluded. It can also take the form of a triangular pyramid, in the upper part of which a poultry house is arranged, and in the lower part - an aviary.

Domestic chickens are popular birds in agriculture. Even a novice farmer is able to cope with their care - unpretentiousness, simple maintenance rules and good productivity give dietary meat and eggs as a reward for work.

Requirements for the premises for keeping laying hens

In order for chickens to be healthy and highly productive, it is necessary to comply with the basic requirements for their maintenance. The first condition is the presence of a chicken coop, which can be a warm barn or any other room made of wood, brick or blocks. The size is determined by the number of chickens and the chosen method of keeping them. It is also important that the building for laying hens meets the following requirements:

1. Correct fit. The best stocking density for chickens is from 2 to 5 birds per 1 square meter. If chickens are placed too closely, their lives are full of stress and discomfort, which will lead to illness and reduced productivity. If the stocking density is low, a significant area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chicken coop may be unused.
2. Normal air humidity. 60 or 70% is the ideal relative humidity in a chicken coop. If the humidity indicator drops below, the chicken respiratory mucosa dries up, and this leads to inflammation. In addition, dry air causes skin itching and feather loss. On the other hand, high humidity also creates conditions for the development of diseases. If heat is added to the high humidity, it causes heat stroke. And in the case when the room is damp and cold, the chickens are supercooled. To normalize the humidity, it is extremely important to provide the chicken coop with sufficient ventilation. An outlet pipe installed in a hole in the wall is ideal for this.

Poultry equipment

It is important to equip the chicken coop with equipment that can be easily cleaned and disinfected. These should be:

• Feeders. The bird-friendly design of the feeder plays a very important role. It is important that it does not allow the feed to be scattered and is easy to clean. Wooden feeders are ideal for dry food, while metal feeders are ideal for wet food. You will also need another feeder made of any material for mineral feed.
• Drinkers. Cellular maintenance requires built-in water tanks. With outdoor content, drinkers can be very diverse. When the chickens are free range, an ordinary basin of water is suitable for a drinker. And the best solution for a chicken coop is automatic or grooved drinkers.
• Perches are a favorite place to rest and sleep. It is important to have perches at a height of 0.6 to 1 m - all on the same level. The optimal diameter of a bar for making a perch is from 5 to 7 cm. It is important that its edges are rounded.
• Nests are places where laying hens lay their eggs. They should be installed in a darkened part of the room. Nests can be located directly on the floor or at a height of no more than 0.6 m. The required number is determined as follows - 1 nest for 4 or 5 hens.
• A litter shield under the perch to keep the coop floor clean and collect night droppings.
• Lazy. In order for chickens to be able to independently go into a pen or free range, you need to provide a chicken coop with manholes. They should be located at a height of 5 cm from the floor and be no more than 40 by 40 cm in size.

Bird care equipment

For successful bird care, you need to acquire the following equipment:

• a jigging cage used to catch sick chickens;
• a trapping cage, which is substituted for a hole, and on the other hand a chicken is driven into it;
• scrapers for cleaning the perch, manure board and floors;
• bedding engine;
• garden shovel;
• shovel;
• rake for paddock care;
• forks for removing old bedding;
• broom for cleaning bedding;
• a box for a dead bird and its research;
• box for temporary storage of litter;
• water dispenser;
• dezokovrik, disinfecting shoes at the entrance and exit from the house;
• bucket for cleaning inventory;
• manual sprayer for disinfection;
• hook and net for catching chickens;
• boxes for storage of a consumable supply of feed;
• a tub for storing a 2-day supply of water;
• table scales for measuring the volume of feed;
• trough for mixing wet food;
• buckets for carrying feed and water;
• wire bucket for collecting eggs.

Laying nests

If all the nests are occupied, the hen will lay the egg right on the floor, which increases the risk of infection or crushing the egg. To prevent this from happening, you need to provide each five chickens with one nest.

The optimal nest height is 0.5 or 0.6 m from the floor. If the nests are higher, the risk of eggs with meat or blood inclusions increases.

It is best to make nests from plywood or tesa. The optimal dimensions of the nest are 30x35x35 cm. The nests should be placed in the form of a locker or one or two lines in a place protected from direct sunlight.

Nests should be filled with soft shavings or straw, which should be updated as they get dirty. The threshold before entering the nest will prevent the litter from being abraded, and the take-off bar will prevent injury. Eggs should be collected from 10:00 to 13:00 every two hours, and in winter - a little more often.

bird walking

With a walking method of keeping, chickens need at least a minimum area for walking - a solarium or an aviary. As a rule, it is equipped on the south side of the house. The area of ​​​​the courtyard for walking should be at least half the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chicken coop. You can also arrange additional perches in the walking yard.

The enclosure must be fenced with a galvanized mesh, the height of the fence is from 1.8 to 2 m. A shade canopy must be installed on top of the enclosure. It is highly desirable that a net be stretched over the solarium - this will protect against visits to the aviary by wild birds that can infect.

If there is an opportunity and desire to provide laying hens with an unlimited area for walking, a garden, garden, berry or vineyard is ideal for these purposes. Chickens not only actively feed themselves during such walks, but also help vegetable gardens and orchards - laying hens destroy seeds and sprouts of weeds, and also eat worms, larvae and slugs in large numbers. You should not let chickens into the garden only during the period when garden crops sprout in order to protect young greens. In winter, chickens can be released daily for walking, provided there is no wind and the temperature is not lower than -15 ° C.

Temperature and light conditions

The most important conditions for keeping laying hens are:

1. Comfortable air temperature is from 10 to 20 ° C, but chickens feel best at 12 - 18 ° C. Despite the ability of chickens to survive even at -25 ° C, it is extremely important not to allow such extreme conditions. After all, the temperature regime forms the most important thing in the chicken coop - the microclimate. It should be constant and without sudden changes in temperature, which lead to the absence of oviposition. It is important to remember that a lower temperature leads to a greater cost of feed, which the hens need to keep warm. On the other hand, heat leads to a decrease in the fertility of birds.
2. The correct light regime, with which you can regulate the laying of laying hens. The ideal day length is 12 to 15 hours. In summer, as a rule, birds have enough sunlight, and in winter, artificial lighting is necessary. If this is not done, too short winter daylight hours will adversely affect the results of chicken "labor". However, lighting should be used with great care, keeping in mind the sensitivity of birds to artificial lighting. Light intensity should not exceed 5 watts per square meter. You need to increase or decrease daylight hours gradually. You should not increase it to 16 or 17 hours - this will overwork the hens and reduce their fertility.

How to keep laying hens at home

There are two main ways of keeping laying hens: outdoor (walking) and intensive (without walking).

When breeding chickens in a small household plot for the needs of one family, it is best to choose the first method - outdoor. That is, laying hens live in a poultry house on bedding or mesh floors. If the birds at the same time will also be on free range, their maintenance will be very economical, and the food will be healthy and balanced.

In the case of breeding birds for sale and profit, intensive keeping will be the most effective. Constantly living in cages, chickens are more compactly placed, and, therefore, their total number increases. With this method, chickens are practically never outside and spend all their time indoors with deep bedding or on mesh floors.

The use of non-replaceable deep litter with a layer of up to 0.5 m is justified in many cases. A thick layer of bedding perfectly absorbs moisture and litter. This bedding allows you not to heat the room - thanks to the vital activity of microorganisms inside the filler, the temperature is constantly maintained up to 32 ° C or even more. Bedding material is harvested during the dry season. It is very important to keep stocks of bedding in a dry place to prevent it from getting moldy.

Valentina Kravchenko, expert

When applying deep litter, you need to remember that it should be:

• loose;
• dry;
• absorb moisture well;
• conduct heat poorly.

As a bedding can be used:

• dry leaves of trees;
• sawdust and shavings;
• straw cutting;
• sunflower, rice, buckwheat or millet husks;
• crushed corn kernels;
• peat in its pure form or mixed with other materials;
• coarse-grained sand with a layer of 15 to 20 cm (in warm areas).

When bedding becomes soiled with manure, you need to turn it with a pitchfork and replenish it with fresh litter. Thoroughly mix fresh bedding material with old bedding material so that an even distribution contributes to the correct maturation of the litter. By the end of winter, the litter should have a thickness of 20 to 25 cm. It is necessary to completely replace the litter with a new one once a year when changing the number of chickens. For one year, an adult bird needs from 8 to 15 kg of dry litter.

Advantages and disadvantages of caged chickens

• a large number of chickens is placed in a very small area;
• litter is collected strictly under the chickens, without polluting the entire chicken coop;
• eggs are kept intact and clean;
• it is convenient to collect eggs - the inclined floor of the cage directs the egg into a special container for collecting eggs;
• chickens do not scatter food from feeders that are attached outside the cages;
• nipple drinkers in cages supply only clean water to chickens;
• in cages, chickens are isolated from other birds and domestic animals, which protects laying hens from infections;
• the presence of a rooster is not at all necessary - often chickens in cages rush much better without it.

It should be remembered about such shortcomings of the cellular content of chickens as:

• the cost of making or buying cells, which pay off over time;
• greater than with free-range content, the cost of feeding chickens and the responsibility for the usefulness of their diet, because the birds are deprived of food with greens and worms;
• the cost of artificial lighting of the chicken coop;
• less nutrients, movement and fresh air in the life of chickens - which means less nutrients in eggs and meat.

Mesh or slatted floors are stretched on frames with a width of 1 to 1.5 m and a length of about 2 m. Galvanized mesh with large cells or wooden planks are installed on the frames. The mesh is supported from below by planks installed along and across at a distance of 40 cm from each other. Frames should be installed on stands with a height of 40 to 80 cm from the floor. On the wooden floor under the frames, it is necessary to install metal pallets to collect the litter.

Cellular maintenance of laying hens at home

An intensive or cage system for keeping chickens requires all the same microclimate conditions in the chicken coop. However, some features of keeping birds in cages can be distinguished.

Conditions for intensive keeping of chickens

It is important to comply with the following requirements:

• the floor under the cages should consist of metal rods;
• cells can be made partly from wood and metal;
• a slight slope in the floor is required;
• a chute for collecting eggs is installed on the outside of the cage;
• metal trays should be placed under the cages to collect litter;
• the feeder and drinker are placed on the front part in front of the cage door;
• the drinker can be one for several cells;
• the house must be very well ventilated all year round;
• there should be no drafts in the room;
• in winter, the chicken coop should be heated;
• the optimum temperature in the cages is 18 °C in summer and 16 °C in winter.

Types of cages for laying hens

Cells can be single, several floors or in the form of a small house with a solarium. Main types:

• layer cage - a lot of space, little light, comfortable perch, protection from drafts;
• cage for broilers - a minimum of space, a lot of light, airing.

The diet of chickens in cages

In the diet of chickens should be the following components:

• crumbly food from wheat grains, sunflower cake, calcium carbonate, vegetable fats, salt and vitamins without drugs and dyes;
• top dressing from vegetables, fruits and herbs: finely chopped grass from the lawn, waste from the kitchen, skins from vegetables and fruits, weeds. Especially laying hens love different types of cabbage, apples, pumpkin, green salad;
• a very important component is mineral supplementation. It can be a shell rock or a mixture of fodder chalk and shells in equal parts;
• water - 0.5 liters per chicken per day.

Cage maintenance and cleaning

Cleanliness and hygiene are the most important conditions for the proper keeping of chickens. Caring for them is not only work for the result, but also an interesting activity. If there are not so many chickens, you can involve the children in caring for them. Such an exciting pastime can unite children and adults around them. It is important not to forget that:

• after feeding, it is necessary to remove the remnants of food so that they do not deteriorate in the feeder;
• cleaning of cages and the entire house should be regular;
• wipe the bars of the cages and wash the feeders every day. After green or wet food, the feeders are washed immediately;
• droppings that fall on the trays under the cages need to be scraped off from time to time and sent for processing to make excellent fertilizer from it.

Ash baths for laying hens

What breeds of laying hens are suitable for cages

• The Lohman Brown is a very productive, unpretentious, friendly and obedient breed that produces excellent eggs and meat;
• Kuchinskaya Jubilee is a very undemanding, time-tested, "classic" breed that has shown itself to be excellent in egg production and the supply of meat at home.

As you can see, the maintenance of laying hens is fraught with certain difficulties, but all of them are easily overcome if you approach them wisely. Optimal conditions and time-tested tricks are the secret to success.

How do you keep your laying hens? What breeds do you prefer? Share your experience in the comments!

Household or cottage economy is a great help. Even a dozen hens will be provided with eggs and meat. The first thing to do is to build a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens. Construction can be quite inexpensive.

Optimal dimensions

If we approach the issue of determining the size of the chicken coop scrupulously, then for each breed of bird there is a certain norm of "living space". But in the country or in a private house they rarely keep a thoroughbred bird. Therefore, they start from the average.

We estimate the area and dimensions of the building

When building a chicken coop, they usually proceed from the planned number of birds. It is believed that 2-4 chickens can live on 1 square meter of area. If we are talking about broilers, you can take 3-4 pieces per square meter. They are inactive and this area is enough for them. If we talk about laying hens or meat and egg breeds, it is considered that the optimal number is 2-3 birds per square area. So, a chicken coop for 10 broiler chickens can have an area of ​​​​-2-3 squares, a poultry house for 10 hens - with laying hens or meat and egg breeds - requires 4-5 squares. If you decide to build a chicken coop for 20 chickens, for broilers the area will be 5-7 squares, for egg and meat - 8-10 squares.

But knowing the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chicken coop for 20 chickens or 10 is not all. Still need to decide on the size. Most often they try to make a rectangular building: 3 * 1.5 m; 4* etc. In this case, you can clean the house without going inside - a rake, a scraper, a broom will reach even the far corners. Square ones are not so convenient in this regard, although a small chicken coop for 10-20 chickens will still not be large. So a square is fine.

What is the height of the chicken coop

When building a chicken coop, you also need to decide on the height of the building. For birds, a height of about 140-150 cm is enough. But we must remember that you will have to clean up in the house, collect eggs, and change the bedding. So when choosing the height of the house, they proceed from their own convenience. For this reason, the roof is made above the level of the head - so that you can walk upright.

Without overlap

When building a roof, there are two options. First: if the house is without overlap (ceiling), you can drive out the walls by about 140-150 cm, make the roof gable and raise the ridge by 180-200 cm (or a little higher, as you wish). In this case, it will be possible to move around the center of the room without problems, but we still rarely walk around the edges. There is usually a perch and nests, there may be a bedding. You will have to work carefully in this area, protecting your head.

The advantage of this option is that with such a device we save on the material of the walls. The downside is that it takes more to insulate the roof: it must be insulated over the entire area, which is much more than what is required when insulating the ceiling. But, in general, this option turns out to be less expensive, but also less convenient (you have to take care of your head).

with loft

The second option on how to mono build a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is to make a mini-copy of an ordinary house. In this case, the walls are driven to a height that is necessary for free movement inside. This is the height of a person, plus 10-20 cm. But keep in mind that part of the height will go to the ceiling, there will be another floor, a bedding on it. Each requires about 15 cm in height. So, if the height of the chicken coop owner is 180 cm, you will have to make walls with a minimum height of 220-230 cm.

As you can see, this option will require more materials for the walls, but only the ceiling (ceiling) can be insulated, and the attic can be left cold. The attic can also be used to store straw, bedding, etc. But do not forget about the rodents, who love such storage and can be a problem.

On poles

Another option: make a chicken coop for 10 chickens on poles. In this case, 4 beams are dug into the ground at the corners of the building, the floor is covered at a height of 50-80 cm from the ground level. The roof is made at a height of 180-200 cm. In general, this is a convenient version of a mini-chicken coop for a summer residence. Option, rather summer, but can be insulated. In order for the bird to enter and exit, they make an inclined ladder from boards with thin perches nailed about 10 cm apart - to make it easier for the bird to move.

In general, you choose the height and general construction plan at your own discretion.

Material for building a chicken coop

For the walls of the chicken coop, the material is chosen depending on the intended mode of use. Boards, plywood, OSB are suitable for a summer chicken coop. Such buildings are made according to the principle of frame housing construction: they assemble a frame from a bar, sheathe it with boards or sheet material. The task of such buildings is to protect from the sun, wind, rain, and they cope with it perfectly.

For a winter chicken coop, you can use the same materials as for a summer one, but the walls will have to be insulated. You can also use logs, timber, gas or foam concrete, adobe, cinder block, shell rock, sandstone, etc. In principle, any building materials. If there is material left from the construction of a house, a bathhouse, a barn, it can be put into action. Only part of the material in the construction of a winter chicken coop requires mandatory insulation, the other can do without (depending on the thickness of the wall, winter temperatures).

Boards, OSB, lining, plywood - these are the most popular materials for building a chicken coop.

A chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is usually covered with inexpensive material. Most often it is roofing or slate, but any other material can be used. Only if you are planning a metal roof (from metal tiles, corrugated board), keep in mind that chickens do not like noise. During rain or hail, they may be frightened, which will affect the number of eggs or weight gain.

Insulation - mineral wool or polystyrene. Mineral wool is vapor-permeable, therefore normal humidity can be automatically maintained in the chicken coop (if the walls are also vapor-permeable). Styrofoam does not let moisture through, but it costs less and is used to build a budget poultry house. It is only worth remembering that mice love to settle in such a heater (polystyrene and mineral wool). And this is a disaster. To block their access to the inside of the wall, it is tightened on both sides with a fine metal mesh (cell size - the smaller the better).

There is also extruded polystyrene foam. It is much more expensive than the options listed above, but the plus is that fungi do not start in it, bacteria do not multiply, and insects and rodents do not like it. And yet - it has excellent thermal insulation characteristics and, for warming the chicken coop, a thickness of 2-3 cm is enough (foam plastic needs more than 5 cm), so in fact, the cost of insulation will not increase very much.

Drawings and projects

A summer chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is a small building, usually made of wood. A mini-house with a paddock, which will contain less than a dozen birds, has dimensions of 3 * 1.5 m. Moreover, this is with a paddock - a fenced area. The very same room where the chickens will spend the night and rush has a depth of 80-100 cm, a width of 140-160 cm, and its height is about 1 meter.

Summer chicken coop for 5-9 chickens with walking - a very small building

For maintenance - changing bedding, cleaning - there is a door in the back wall. There is a small shuttered window for light to enter. In general, an ideal option for giving for the seasonal maintenance of a small number of chickens.

A chicken coop for 10-15 chickens is already a more serious building. Dimensions are doubled: 1 * 2. The height can still be low - all service can pass through a door in the back wall. There is no need to go inside. Except as a last resort.

For even more birds, you need to make an even larger shed for chickens. This is really - a barn or change house. It is already possible to enter such a room.

If the winters are snowy, you will have to make high slopes, and the roof - a tent

Please note that even the smallest poultry house should have windows. No one will install metal-plastic, but glass must be mandatory. In a seasonal chicken coop, one glass is enough, in a winter one it is better to put two. Moreover, the second can be set only for cold weather. And one more thing: it is desirable to have shutters on the window. This will give you the ability to change the length of daylight hours.

There are projects of chicken coops of an unusual shape - in the form of a triangle or a wigwam. This type of building is optimal. When spending a minimum of funds for construction, we get a solid area.

This chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built using frame technology. There are no walls as such, they are covered with soft roofing material. A very rational building. It is also suitable for snowy regions: with such a slope, little will linger.

Chicken coop for 10-20 chickens: choose and make a foundation

The type of foundation depends on the selected type of material. If this is a frame building or timber, logs will be used, the most optimal is a columnar foundation. The costs in terms of time and money are minimal, reliability is sufficient, and possible distortions of the columns are compensated by the strapping and elasticity of the material.

If the walls are built from blocks of any type, brick, shell rock and any similar material, a strip foundation is needed. It costs more, but it won't work any other way. An even better option is a slab foundation, but the cost is even higher. But you can use the slab as a subfloor, and with such a foundation, any frosty heaving is not scary.

Site preparation for the foundation

To build a chicken coop for 10 chickens with your own hands, first clear the area. It is necessary to remove the entire fertile layer. Its thickness can be 20 cm or more, and maybe only 5. In any case, we remove everything, including stones, roots, etc. We level the site, we ram. For tamping, you can use a piece of large-diameter log with a handle bar nailed on top.

It is necessary to remove the soil because the animals and plant remains in it under the building begin to rot. So it is imperative to remove the fertile soil layer. We carry out further construction work on the cleared and leveled site.

Column Foundation

Poles for the foundation under the house can be made of bricks, but the easiest way is to use concrete blocks 20 * 20 * 40 cm. They fit perfectly. If you are building a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens, it is unlikely that your building is larger. The longest side that can be is 4 meters. If the winter is snowy, three supports can be placed on this side: two at the edges and one in the middle. If the length of the chicken coop wall does not exceed 3 meters, we put only supports in the corners.

In the selected places we dig holes, which are slightly larger in size than future pillars. The depth of the holes is 25-30 cm. We pour crushed stone of the middle fraction on the bottom, we ram it well. The thickness of the layer in the compacted form is 15 cm. We pour sand onto the compacted gravel and also ram it well. Blocks can be placed on this base. They need to be put on the horizon. To do this, you can use pegs with a rope stretched along the level, or you can put even planks on the blocks, lay the building level on them and navigate along it.

After the blocks are aligned, you can start laying the strapping. This is either a bar (for frame or bar construction), or a log. The beam / log of the strapping must be treated with impregnation. Under them, on the columns, it is desirable to lay a piece of roofing material or hydroisol folded in two layers (a modern and improved analogue of roofing material). Actually everything, you can build a chicken coop further.

Strip foundation for a chicken coop

A strip foundation is usually made for a chicken coop for 20 chickens, which will be built from any building blocks, adobe, shell rock, brick, etc. To make a tape of concrete, you will have to dig a trench along the perimeter of the future building with a depth of at least 50 cm and a width of at least 35 cm. Try to make the walls of the trench even, and if the soil is loose, with a slight slope.

The bottom of the trench is cleared of stones, roots, leveled, rammed. Crushed stone of the middle fraction is poured at the bottom, leveled and rammed. Layer thickness - 15 cm (packed). Building sand is poured on top and rammed. The layer thickness is about 10 cm. Further, formwork is assembled from the boards in a trench for pouring concrete. Formwork panels should rise above the ground by at least 10-15 cm. In this case, the floor of the chicken coop will be slightly raised.

Tape base - for serious buildings or very difficult soils

To increase resistance to soil movement during frost heaving, reinforcement is placed inside the strip foundation. In this case, two bars with a diameter of 10-12 mm (ribbed, not smooth) are sufficient, which are located at a distance of about 15 cm from each other. The distance from the bars to the formwork shield is at least 5 cm. The distance from the bottom should be the same or greater .

The last step in arranging a strip foundation for a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is pouring concrete. Concrete brand - M150, you should not do less. The proportions are standard: for 1 part of M400 cement we take three parts of crushed stone of the middle fraction and four parts of dry sand. Water - 0.7-0.8 parts. We mix everything and pour it into the formwork. Having aligned the upper edge, we close the foundation with a film and wait 1-3 weeks. If it is warm (+20°C and above), we wait a week, if from +17°C to +20°C - two, if less than +17°C - three. After that, you can remove the formwork and continue construction.

Remember that the concrete foundation, even for a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens, must be waterproofed. It can be covered twice with bituminous mastic, or you can lay two layers of rolled waterproofing. If the humidity in the area is high, it is better to use both.

Warming and vapor barrier

The walls in the chicken coop are built according to the chosen technology. There are no nuances here. In insulation, in fact, too, but it’s worth talking about insulation, since after all this building has its own characteristics.

Lay thermal insulation between two layers of sheathing - here's a winter chicken coop for you

Mineral (basalt or glass) wool

Warming with mineral wool is most often done if a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built according to the principle of frame housing construction. The assembled frame is sheathed from the outside, laying a layer of waterproofing under the material (plywood, OSB, boards). At the same time, please note that a ventilation gap of 2-3 cm should remain between the insulation and the outer skin. It can be provided by strips stuffed between the uprights or stretched twine (fixed with staples from a stapler). The second option is less reliable, but faster and cheaper.

To insulate the chicken coop with mineral wool, it is best to take hard or semi-rigid mats. They are cut into pieces of the desired length and inserted into the spacer between the racks from the side of the room. It turns out that from the outside they rest against the planks or stretched twine. The thickness of the insulation is 5-10 cm (depending on the region) and the material of the outer skin, but in any case, when assembled, it should not protrude beyond the racks. If the width of the racks is not enough, and the insulation is needed thick, planks / boards are stuffed over the racks.

During construction, place racks with such a pitch that between them there is a distance of 3-5 cm less than the width of the insulation. Due to its greater width, the insulation will hold on (the elastic force works). Just be careful: measure the actual width of the roll, and do not use the number that is on the roll. There may be a difference of a couple of centimeters, the edges may bend, so as a result it will be difficult to install a heater, as it will fall out. When warming, try to keep the pieces adjacent to each other without gaps. If they do exist, fill in thin strips. The installed insulation can be fixed with ordinary twine and staples from.

A vapor barrier membrane is fixed over the mounted insulation. In the simplest version, this is a film with a density of 200 microns. But it is still better to take a membrane for vapor barrier. It is attached to the racks with wooden planks, using small nails or staples from a stapler. At the joints, one canvas should go in and the other by at least 15 cm. Double-sided tape is used to glue the canvases. It turns out a double seam, which provides a normal degree of protection against the penetration of steam. On top of the vapor barrier film, you can attach the material of the inner lining (plywood, OSB, GVL, GKL, boards).

What is not an option. Also insulation ... It remains only to come up with something with the floor

So, when the chicken coop is insulated with mineral wool, the wall cake looks like this (from inside to outside):

• inner lining;
• vapor barrier;
• insulation;
• ventilation gap;
• waterproofing;
• outer cladding.

The sequence of layers does not allow moisture to penetrate into the insulation from the inside. This task cannot be 100% completed - vapors still penetrate. Therefore, it is necessary to have a ventilation gap between the insulation and waterproofing. Due to this, the steam that has entered the heater comes out. It is this construction that guarantees that the insulation will work.

Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene

When insulating with polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam, everything is a little simpler. It is itself vapor-tight, so it is not necessary to protect it from the penetration of steam. If a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is built according to the frame principle, you can lay foam between the racks. It is cut with a saw with a fine tooth (for metal), fixed with low expansion foam. In order for the insulation to “not walk”, planks are stuffed along the racks on both sides. Styrofoam and polystyrene foam can be laid both from the street and from the side of the room. Sheathing can be done in any order. The only thing: from the side of the street under the sheathing, it is better, after all, to fix the waterproofing. Especially for polystyrene - it “blooms” from moisture in large quantities.

If a chicken coop for 10-20 chickens is made of a vapor-permeable material (foam and gas concrete, timber, logs), it must be insulated with foam from the outside. There should be a ventilation gap between the wall and the insulation, which will allow moisture to evaporate from the wall. To do this, a crate is stuffed onto the wall with a bar 20-30 mm thick. Then the counter-batten is stuffed in the opposite direction. The thickness of the bars is not less than the thickness of the insulation. Styrofoam / extruded polystyrene foam is fixed to the mounting foam between the planks of the counter-batten. Then, on top, you can mount the outer skin.

Ventilation

Chickens do well in normal humidity. With a decrease or increase, they begin to hurt (high humidity is more dangerous), so ventilation in the chicken coop should creep in even during the planning period. A hole is made in one of the walls for air flow. To do this, you can insert a piece of plastic pipe into the wall and pick up a cover for it.

The outflow of air from the chicken coop (hood) is a pipe drawn through the roof or the top of the wall. On the street, the pipe rises for some distance above the roof and ends with a fungus or a visor - to protect against precipitation and foliage. The inflow and exhaust are located in opposite corners so that the air passes the greatest distance. This type of ventilation is called natural, but it does not always work stably.

For stable operation, a fan with a cover is embedded in the upper part of the wall. Better if it has multiple speeds. The operation of this type of ventilation does not depend on the weather, but depends on the availability of electricity and requires human intervention. In principle, you can do both ways and use as needed.

are the most common poultry. Their popularity is justified by many factors: high productivity, unpretentiousness to the conditions of keeping and feeding, ease of care. It is hard to imagine a village yard without chickens. Chickens provide the poultry farmer with excellent dietary foods - meat and eggs.

Does not cause special worries for the poultry farmer. It is enough for them to initially create all the necessary conditions and maintain them. From this article you will learn how to keep chickens at home, all the recommended conditions in the poultry house will be described, several ways of keeping will be considered and what requirements should be placed on equipment for birds.

Photo

At home, you can use two main ways to keep chickens - floor and cage. Each system has its undeniable advantages and disadvantages.

The floor method of keeping chickens involves keeping the bird on the floor on a deep litter. The advantage of this method is the ability to organize walking for chickens, both limited and free. (Below we will describe in more detail the features of keeping free-range chickens). With this method, the bird is kept in a room called. It should be light, warm, dry and without drafts.

The cellular content of chickens is more intensive, as the use of production areas increases simply at times. With this method, sanitary and hygienic conditions are improved, bird care is facilitated. The short term for obtaining egg productivity from chickens can be attributed to the minus of such a system. This is due to the fact that chickens lead a very sedentary lifestyle.

Now we should talk about each content system separately and delve into the details.

The most affordable and common way to keep chickens at home is outdoor. It is used by the vast majority of poultry farmers. All you need is a warm room without drafts.

At home, it is most rational to provide chickens with access to free range, thereby saving money on feed and feeding chickens only 1-2 times a day. On the run, the chickens will look for their own food - there are all sorts of insects, earthworms, green grass and plant seeds. Chickens in this case are in constant motion, this will have a good effect on the quality of meat and the health of the bird. Eggs from free-range chickens are delicious and healthier than store-bought eggs. They also have very high incubation
quality.

If there is no access to free range, then you can limit yourself to just an aviary. In this case, the corral is made right next to the chicken coop so that the chickens can freely go into it. At the same time, chickens will have to be fed with full-fledged feeds and savings will no longer work.

The whole point of floor housing is to use a large layer of bedding in the house. For these purposes, you can use sawdust, straw, hay, peat, corn husks, fallen leaves from trees, the main requirement is low thermal conductivity. The litter should evenly cover the entire area of ​​​​the chicken coop, it should be dry and loose.

As the litter gets into the litter, it is stirred up and a new layer is added without removing the old one. In winter, its thickness should be at least 20 centimeters. The bedding is replaced once a year.

With floor maintenance, some necessary requirements are imposed on the poultry house itself. It should be equipped with perches, on which the chickens will sleep or just rest. For a perch, any bar with a thickness of 6-8 centimeters is suitable. Perches are located at a height of 0.7-1 meter. The chicken coop should also have feeders and drinkers. Nests are located in the dark corners of the house; ordinary boxes can be used as them, only they should be filled with sawdust, straw or hay.

Cellular content of chickens

The second important advantage is hygiene. Under the cages there is a special tray in which the droppings are collected, and the bird does not have direct contact with it. If necessary, the pallet can be pulled out and the litter removed. Cellular equipment is easy to clean and disinfect.

With this method, the collection of eggs is greatly facilitated. We can say that the eggs are collected automatically, they roll out on an inclined surface into a special chute. Thus, the eggs do not have time to get dirty and the hens will not be able to crush them.

Feed savings. Due to the fact that the feeders are located on the outside of the cage, the chickens will not be able to scatter the feed with their paws.

In addition to the advantages, the cell content of chickens has a number of significant shortcomings.

The first significant drawback is the rather expensive and difficult to manufacture equipment. Chicken cages are quite expensive.

Chickens with cellular content lead a sedentary lifestyle, which will certainly affect their health and the quality of their meat.

With the cellular content of chickens, it is necessary to provide them with good nutrition. Indeed, on a free range, the bird receives food itself and you don’t even have to think about it, you can’t say the same about the cellular content. Particular emphasis should be placed on vitamins and minerals, otherwise the chickens will peck at the laid eggs.

In order for caged chickens to rush well, you must monitor their good nutrition, because when walking, the bird receives all the necessary trace elements from the ground. When caged for the laying period, you should install a mineral feeder. In its role can be a shell, shell rock or a mixture of fodder chalk and shells in equal proportions. With such top dressing, the bird will not peck at the laid eggs.

The room where cage batteries with birds are installed should be warm and draft-free. The microclimate in it should be quite stable. It is enough to remember the following: the air temperature is 16 degrees and the relative humidity is 60-70%. With such a microclimate, the bird will feel quite comfortable.

Perfectly adapted to the cellular conditions of detention. They just need to limit movement so that they spend fewer calories and gain weight faster.

Which way to keep chickens to choose?

Which way to keep chickens to choose? If you have a small household plot, you breed chickens only to provide food for one family, then you should definitely choose the outdoor method of keeping.

If you plan to make money on breeding chickens, then to increase the bird density, it is better to choose a cellular method of keeping.

Other factors may also influence the choice, such as access to free range, which will greatly facilitate bird care and save feed.

In order for the chickens to show maximum productivity, it is necessary to comply with all the necessary conditions of detention.

Stocking density is a very important condition for keeping domestic chickens. If the chickens are planted too close, they will feel uncomfortable, and the risk of various diseases will increase. If the stocking density is too low, then the area of ​​the poultry house will be irrationally used, which is also not good. Optimum planting density of chickens: 2-5 chickens per 1 square meter.

Also a very important condition is the air temperature in the chicken coop. Chickens are quite cold-resistant birds and can withstand temperatures down to -25 degrees, but these are already extreme conditions. Based on the temperature regime, a certain microclimate is formed in the room. Do not allow a sharp fluctuation in temperature, as this can cause the cessation of oviposition. To obtain optimal performance in the house, it is necessary to maintain a constant optimum ambient temperature. And what temperature can be called optimal? For chickens, it is in the range of 10-20 degrees. The ideal temperature for chickens is in the range of 12-14 degrees. It should be noted that the lower air temperature in the chicken coop leads to an increase in feed costs, since chickens need to spend part of the energy on heating the body. At elevated temperatures, egg production in chickens is significantly reduced.

There is such a condition for keeping chickens as relative humidity. The ideal air humidity, which should be adhered to, is 60-70%. Low humidity threatens to dry out the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, in connection with this, inflammation can frolic. On the skin, low humidity causes severe itching in the bird, and it may lose its feather. With such humidity, the bird drinks a lot of water.

Too high relative humidity increases the risk of developing various diseases. In any case, immunity in chickens improves. High humidity combined with high temperatures can cause heat stroke. High humidity combined with low temperatures can cause chickens to become cold.

In practice, low humidity is rare, a much more frequent occurrence is too high humidity. This is explained by the fact that chickens, as a result of their vital activity, emit a lot of moisture. Excess moisture can be eliminated by good ventilation of the room. As ventilation, you can install an ordinary outlet pipe by drilling a hole in the wall.

The light regime is the most important condition for keeping. Lighting can be used as a tool to regulate egg production. Artificial lighting in the poultry house is usually used in winter, when daylight hours are too short.

The main reason for the decrease in egg production in chickens in winter is the change in daylight hours. In order to restore egg production, I use artificial lighting. Apply additional lighting with great care, as chickens are very sensitive to this. The recommended light day for chickens is 12-15 hours a day. It should be increased or decreased gradually. It is not recommended to bring daylight hours to 17 hours or more, as chickens will overwork and their productivity will decrease.

Light intensity plays a big role. It should be no more than 5 watts per 1 square meter of chicken coop area.

Room for keeping chickens

It is impossible without a specially designated room for this - a chicken coop. Any warm room, any barn is perfect as a chicken coop. It can be built by the poultry farmer himself. Material for construction can be used different: wood, brick, blocks.

It is very important that the poultry house for chickens can meet the above conditions.

It is necessary to choose the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chicken coop based on the number of livestock and the chosen method of keeping.

The most important thing is to properly equip the house with all the necessary equipment.

Equipment for keeping chickens

Particular attention should be paid to the equipment that needs to be installed in the chicken coop.

Drinkers. When cage keeping drinkers, special drinkers should be built into the cages. When kept on the floor, various types of drinkers for chickens can be used. For example, on a free range, you can install an ordinary basin. In the chicken coop, automatic drinkers will be the most convenient. A good option are flute drinkers.

Feeders. Particular attention should be paid to the choice of feeder design. Basic requirements: it should be easy to wash, should be comfortable for birds and should not allow food to be scattered. For wet mixers, feeders made of metal are best suited. For dry food, wooden feeders are best. Also in the chicken coop you need a feeder for mineral feed, any container is suitable for it.

Perches. Perches are a very important piece of equipment for chickens. Birds like to just rest and sleep on them. Perches should be placed at the same level, at a height of 0.6-1 meters. The cross section of the bar for the perch should be 5-7 centimeters. The edges must be rounded.

Nests. A chicken nest is where the hens lay their eggs. They should be installed in dark places in the room. You can install them directly on the floor, or you can also at a height, but not more than 60 centimeters. The need for nests in chickens is quite large; they should be installed based on the calculation: 1 nest for 4-5 laying hens.

Lazy. The design of the chicken coop should provide manholes through which the chickens will go out into the corral or free range. They are made at a height of 5 centimeters from the floor. The dimensions of the hole must be at least 40 × 40 centimeters.

Not only profitable enough for the poultry farmer, but very entertaining and interesting. With a small livestock, even children can do the job of caring for chickens.

Watch a video about keeping chickens. On the video, you can appreciate the benefits of birds such as chickens.